Stalked
by Lu78
Summary: I wrote this as a result of a challenge where a character was being stalked. Hope you like it.


Title:- Stalked

Rating:- pg13(maybe R later)

Disclaimer:- I don't own anyone you recognise, but anyone else, is from the makings of my over active imagination.

Summary:- Samantha runs into someone from her past.

A.N. - This is an answer to challenge number 17 I think it was. The challenge where Samantha is being stalked. Hope I can do it justice.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Martin stood over Samantha, holding back her hair as she vomited again.

She sat back, leaning against the cool tiles of the bathroom wall. "Martin, honest, give me an hour and I'll be all right. Just tell Jack I'll be there. Tell him I'm sorry."

"Okay." Martin reluctantly left Samantha on the bathroom floor. When she heard the door to their apartment close, she pulled herself up and placed herself in the shower for the second time that morning.

Entering the bullpen, Viv caught her straight away. "Morning sickness?" She questioned.

"It sucks." Samantha replied giving a weak smile in Viv's direction.

"Doesn't last long. Just make sure Martin looks after you, all right?"

"Don't worry, he does." Samantha headed towards her desk, noting her husband and Danny's desk both empty. Glancing up to the board she saw the new picture. Looking back to her desk she saw the post-it note stuck to her computer screen. 'Samantha, can you make a start on the credit, phone and mail records please? Jack' Slumping down into her chair she got straight to work.

By late afternoon the guys were back after finding the girl in an old abandoned warehouse. Martin walked straight to Samantha. "Hey are you all right?" The concern in his voice was so strong, Samantha couldn't help the tears that appeared in her eyes.

"I'm good, told you I would be." She stretched up for a kiss before turning back to her paperwork.

They all carried on working for the little time they had left in the office. Just before they were about to leave, Jack stuck his head out the office. "Samantha can I see you for a moment please?"

Martin looked to Samantha who only shrugged her shoulders and walked towards their boss's office. "Yes Jack, what can I do for you?"

"Samantha take a seat?" Jack was beginning to scare her. He had a look in his eyes that she couldn't read. Samantha did as she was told and sat down on the black leather seat opposite Jack. "I received a phone call this morning to let us know. Samantha, Terence Barbar was released yesterday."

Flashback

It was only Samantha's second case with the Missing Persons department of the FBI. She was young, some would say inexperienced, but her boss knew better. She had a strong head on her shoulders and knew that she could take whatever was thrown at her.

The case hadn't been easy. It dealt with four teenage girls. All abducted by the same man. Taken to a warehouse in Jersey where they were beaten and raped.

Samantha had never seen anything like it before but she was prepared for whatever er she had to do. They managed to get three of the girls back safely but the fourth had been dead before they reached her.

Jack decided that Samantha should go undercover as bait for the man in hopes of catching him. She was young, looked younger, so she was perfect. It happened late on a Thursday evening, she was snatched as she walked from an aerobics class.

The guy drugged her and took her to the warehouse. Samantha woke when they arrived, and in a way wish she hadn't. Because then she would never know the pain and hurt she felt. He raped her several times before beating her within an inch of her life. All she could do was lay on the floor and hope that back up would arrive.

The perp had been too quick for the team who finally got to the warehouse two hours after he had shown up there. He had been apprehended and Samantha was taken to the hospital.

She testified against him in court and he was sent down for ten years with the chance of parole in five. She only hoped that wouldn't happen.

The man was Terence Barbar.

End flashback.

Samantha never told anyone what had happened in the warehouse. It was her own secret. Something she though she had buried a long time ago, but when Jack told her that Terence Barbar was out her stomach revolted and she ran from Jack's office to the closest toilet.

Martin watched his wife run from the office and went after her. He hesitated at the toilet door but when he heard her vomiting he went straight in.

Tears streamed from her eyes as she retched. Her throat burned, as there was nothing in her stomach to bring up. "It's all right baby. I've got you." Martin's soft voice soothed her but she couldn't get Terence Barbar's face from her mind.

Why now? Why after all this time, when she was happy did he have to come back into her life. She only hoped that he would move far away and not hurt her or her family.

Martin managed to get her to her feet and back out into the office. Collecting their things he herded her towards the elevator, but not before talking to Jack first. But all Jack would tell him was someone from Samantha's past had been released from prison and he should talk to Samantha about it.

Samantha was silent the whole road home, even after they were in the safe confines of their apartment she still didn't open up. Martin knew she would eventually and if he gave her time she would open up. Time was what she needed, he decided as he watched his wife curl on the sofa and fall asleep.

Martin looked down to where Samantha still lay asleep on the sofa. Looked like she was going to be asleep all night, but Martin couldn't leave her lying there. Scooping her into his arms he carried her towards their bedroom. Gently he laid her onto the bed, but she stirred and looked up to where he stood above her. He watched as she moved away from him, as if not recognising him. "Samantha, it's me baby it's all right." He stayed standing where he was, not wanting to frighten her any more than she already was.

He watched as her face softened and she looked back up into his eyes and smiled slightly. "Sorry, rough day." She tried to laugh it off.

"You want to talk about it?" Martin questioned.

"Maybe I should." She said lying her head back down on the pillow. She sat back up quickly. "I need to have a shower." Her mind obviously somewhere else, she brushed past Martin and into their bathroom. "We'll talk after." She whispered as she closed the door behind her. Normally she would leave the door open, giving him the chance to follow her in. Tonight that wasn't an option.

He went back out into the living room, tidying a few things away before dressing for bed himself. Settling himself on the bed, he thought back to when he first met Samantha. She had seemed wary of him, almost frightened of the new man on the team. She was happy and carefree around Danny and Jack but she had known them for years. He was the new guy, some one who had to gain her trust.

And trust he had gained, that and a whole lot more. Over the years they had grown closer until he had finally plucked up the courage to ask her out. He had thought she was going to turn him down at first but no, she agreed.

They had dated for almost eighteen months when he felt the time was right and he proposed. Their wedding had been a small affair with only the closest friends and family attending. Unfortunately Samantha's family did not attend. She hadn't seemed that bothered by it, even if he was. Martin couldn't believe that they wouldn't be there for their daughter on her special day. Then again he didn't know her family.

When she had announced she was expecting their child, they couldn't have been happier. They had agreed to her continuing on at work but she had to take things easy, which meant desk duty for the big part of the day.

Now this has come along, what ever this was, and he hoped they wouldn't be back to square one again.

Samantha came out of the bathroom and smiled, seeing her husband lying in bed awaiting her arrival. She knew she was going to have to talk to him, tell her exactly what had happened today; maybe it was time to tell the truth. A truth that had been buried for years.

"That feel better?" He asked her. She nodded as she crawled into bed beside him. "Samantha know that I don't want to push you into talking, but whenever you are ready you can tell me anything."

"I know, and I want to tell you but you have to be patient with me." He nodded his head as he leaned into her. "Jack told you that someone from my past had reappeared. Well that someone is Terence Barbar. He was the perp on my second case in Missing Persons. He had abducted four teenage girls, beaten and raped them before they were found. The last girl had been killed he had hurt her so badly. It was decided that I should go undercover and act as bait. I wasn't long out the academy and still looked relatively young." She took a deep breath. "So I was abducted by Terence and thought we would be followed and he would be arrested before anything could really happen. Wasn't I wrong? He took me to an abandoned warehouse where I thought he was just going to talk to me or something. I don't know. Just me being naive I suppose." Martin tightened his arms around her. "Anyway I was wrong. He beat me, and.." Samantha paused blinking back the tears. She took a deep breath before continuing. "he raped me. Several times. I though the team were right behind me but they didn't arrive for ages after. I was in hospital for about a week, he had broken my wrist in two places and I had internal injuries. I testified in court and he was sent down." She finished her story by wiping her eyes. "That's' the first time I have ever told anyone about the rape." She stated.

"But you said you'd testified." Martin was a little confused.

"I never told them he had raped me. I just couldn't, don't know why. I was something I buried and it has stayed buried until today. He's out and I am finally happy with life. How can just two words wreck that." She said allowing the tears to fall from her eyes.

"I won't let him wreck anything. I promise you that." martin said pulling her head down on to his chest, rubbing her back as she slowly fell asleep. "I'll never let him hurt you again." He whispered into her hair as she slept.

It had been three weeks since Samantha had opened her heart up to Martin and let him in on the biggest secret she ever had. He had kept his promise and hadn't told anyone about what she had been through. He didn't really understand why she wanted it kept a secret but he didn't want to hurt her, so he did as he was told.

There had been no movements from Barbar since his release. Jack had been keeping a close eye on him, just in case he started anything with Samantha. Samantha was his protégé. Well he had always felt that way. He felt responsible for her in a way he had never felt for another agent. When she had come back from medical leave after the abduction there was always something different about her but he passed it off as nervousness.

Early one Thursday morning, Martin stood in the break room watching his wife open her mail. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. There was something so beautiful, so serene about her. That and the fact she had started to show in her pregnancy. He loved running his hands over the slight bump that had appeared over the weekend. He marvelled how her body had changed while housing their child.

He watched as she opened the last letter. He faced changed, turning a ghastly shade of white, before she scrunched up the paper and tossed it in the wastebasket. Walking across the bullpen, he stood by her side. "You all right?"

"Yeah." She answered quickly. But he could tell there was something wrong.

"Samantha, what was in that letter?"

"Nothing." She lied and he knew she was lying, but did he want to push her on it. She looked to him and knew that he knew. "Okay, it was a note for someone, saying they were going to get me."

Martin went straight to the basket and retrieved the scrunched paper. The note had been typed, but wasn't very neat. "I'll take this to Jack. Samantha don't hide anything else okay. Remember I'm here for you." He gave her a quick kiss before heading towards Jack's office.

Over the next few weeks Samantha received a letter at least three times a week. By chance they all came to the office. That could only mean whoever was sending them didn't know where she lived. Jack had his suspicions that it was Barbar. The postmark on the letters was from a town near to the one where he knew Barbar was. He could be writing them and getting someone else to post them for him. But they couldn't be certain, so they couldn't arrest him.

Samantha became more withdrawn as the weeks went on. She was just going into her sixth month of pregnancy and was getting a little more uncomfortable as the time went on. Martin still couldn't get enough of her. Whenever he could, he would run his hands over her stomach, just to feel their child, give the slightest of kicks from within.

One morning another letter arrived I the post for Samantha. 'Not another one.' She thought as she tore the envelope open. A photograph and a letter fell from he envelope. On seeing the photograph, Samantha gasped and held her stomach. No one else was in the office at the time or someone would have come running. The note read:-

this time it's you and your baby that'll suffer.

The photograph showed Samantha on a rare afternoon off walking into a store. Her pregnant stomach in full view. She looked happy in the shot, not like she did now. Why couldn't he leave her alone?

A few hours later, Martin, Jack, Danny and Viv arrived back in the office after finding another victim. They were surprised to find the office empty. Where was Samantha?

Martin walked across to her desk and found the photo and letter. His heart immediately dropped. Why hadn't he been here when she received the letter? Where was she now? His cell rang and he was pleased to see Samantha's name on the screen. "Honey where are you?" Were the first words out of his mouth.

"? Martin help!"

Martin picked up on the tension in her voice. "Samantha where are you? What's going on?"

Jack, Viv and Danny looked at him, picking up on the fear in his voice.

"He's after me, he's following me." Her voice was high pitched, getting more and more fearful as she spoke.

"Who is baby? Tell me what's wrong." martin tried to calm his own voice down, in order to get her to calm down.

"Barbar, he found me this afternoon. He sent photo's to the office and I had to get out." Samantha tried to explain as she weaved her way through the New York traffic.

"Where did you go?" Martin asked her. Danny was standing right on his shoulder trying to hear the conversation through the cell phone. Jack had disappeared into the office to call for back up.

"Central Park. I just needed time to think. Martin I'm sorry I left. I know I should have stayed where I was but I was feeling claustrophobic." Samantha was starting to breath heavily again.

"Baby I need you to calm down, this isn't your fault. Tell me where you are?"

"Fifth Avenue, somewhere, I can't see what block we just passed. Martin, I know I didn't say it before but I'm scared."

"Don't be baby. I'm right on the phone with you. Jack's calling the local PD and there should be someone with you momentarily."

Martin expected her to reply but all he heard was her scream and the screech of brakes, then nothing. "Samantha." He called. "Samantha!" HE shouted. Looking towards Jack's office seeing him still on the phone he ran in. "Where are the PD?"

"Don't know, why?" jack asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

"Barbar's chasing her; there's just been some screeching of tyres and a scream then nothing. She's somewhere on Fifth."

Jack handed the phone to Martin. "You talk to them."

"Hi, there has just been a crash somewhere on Fifth Avenue." martin quickly said. There was a pause while the officer on the other end spoke. "I know because my wife was in the car and was talking to me on her cell when it happened. She's a special agent here in the FBI. If your agents get to her first, her ID will say Special Agent Samantha Spade, but her drivers license will say Samantha Claire Spade Fitzgerald." Martin paused again in his speech. "Okay, where will you take her?"

Martin hung the phone up and was on his way out the office before anyone could catch up with him. "What's going on?" Danny asked.

"The police weren't far behind them and they've got to her. They're on heir way to Beth Israel Hospital as soon as the ambulance is there. I'm heading down there."

"What about Barbar?" Jack asked.

"Don't know didn't ask. Was too worried about my wife?" Martin almost spat out at him. "Sorry Jack, I'm just worried about her."

"I know son, go to her and keep us updated." Jack said as the doors to the elevator finally opened.

Arriving at the hospital, Martin went straight to the reception desk. "I'm here about Samantha Spade Fitzgerald."

"She's only just arrived, how did you get her so quick?" The young girl asked.

"I was on the phone with her when she crashed. Where is she?" martin as getting rather irritated with the girl.

"The doctor will be out in a minute if you'd like to have a seat." She pointed to the hard, orange, plastic chairs behind him.

"Thank you."

Martin had been sitting for almost thirty minutes when a doctor made his way towards him. "Mr Fitzgerald, my name is Doctor Watters, I've been treating your wife."

"How is she?"

"Not doing too great. Your baby seems to be in a lot of distress and we have to go in and get the baby out. Your wife is suffering from some internal injuries that we can sort while we get the baby out. However, they may be more serious than we thought."

"Doc, do what ever you have to but please save my wife."

"We'll do the best we can sir." The doctor started to walk away from him.

"Excuse me, can you do me a favour?" The doctor nodded his head. "Can you tell her I love her."

"Of course I can sir. Try not to worry."

"Mr Fitzgerald." Martin looked up and saw the doctor her had spoken to earlier on standing over him. "Your wife is out of surgery, but unfortunately things aren't as great as we thought."

"What do you mean?" Martin asked, silently praying for his wife and child.

"You wife had sustained many injuries that we hadn't realised until we went into surgery. We have delivered your child, a little boy but the impact on him is not yet known. He wasn't breathing when we delivered him and has had to intubate him. And things don't look good."

"I have a son." Martin couldn't seem to get past that. Then as if a light switch had been turned on, he realised what the doctor was telling him. "You mean he won't survive without the machine?"

"That's right. I am sorry to put you in this situation."

"What about Samantha?"

"She too is intubated, that is through the surgery, although her body has been through a lot. We have had to remove her spleen and." The doctor seemed to pause in his speech.

"Doctor, just tell me what's wrong?"

"We have had to perform a hysterectomy on your wife. After delivering your son she began to bleed out and this was our only option of keeping your wife alive."

"What does that mean?" Martin had heard the word hysterectomy before but never really understood what it meant.

"Your wife no longer has a womb Mr Fitzgerald. She will never have another child."

Martin felt as if the life had been knocked from him. All he kept thinking was that she was still alive. His wife was still alive. "Can I see them?"

"OF course. What we would like to do is wake your wife from the anthestetic so she has a chance to see your son before we switch off the machines." The doctor realised this was hard for Martin. He gently laid a hand on his arm. "Mr Fitzgerald I realise that I sound a little callous when I say these things to you but I am only trying to give you all the facts."

"I understand. It's just a lot to take in." Martin said as the doctor lead him down the corridor towards the NICU.

After seeing his tiny son, lying in the incubator surrounded by tubes and under a heat lamp, Martin went straight to his wife's side. The doctor was extubating her as he walked into the room. Martin walked up beside the bed and took her hand into his. "Samantha I need for you to wake up for me." He said gently as he stroked the side of her face.

Samantha's eyes slowly opened as she coughed and rasped. She looked to Martin and could see the hurt in his eyes. Her mind clicked and she remembered what had happened to her. "The baby?"

"We have a son." He said through the tears. Samantha smiled. "He's not doing to great though baby and we have to turn the machine off."

"What do you mean?" Samantha tried to focus.

"The doctor's say that after the impact he was lucky to be alive when he was born, he is only being kept alone now by the machine."

Tears began to form in Samantha's eyes. "You mean we have to let him go?" Martin nodded as they both began crying.

Half an hour later Martin sat on the edge of the bed with his arm around Samantha. The doctor had just brought the incubator in where their son lay. Samantha gasped at just how tiny he was. They watched as the doctor switched off the machine and undid the tube from his mouth. Gently the doctor lifted their son and placed him into Samantha 's arms, then left the room so they could have the privacy they needed.

"HE looks like you." Martin managed to say through the tears that fell. Samantha couldn't take her eyes from her son. HE was so tiny, and now no longer with them. How would she cope? She ran her hand over his head that was covered in a soft blonde fluff. Would he have looked like her as he grew up, or would his look change to be just like his daddy? She didn't know and now she would never know.

"We'll have a proper service for him." Samantha said in a voice so strong she wasn't sure where it had come from.

"Of course. DO you still want to name him what we discussed?" Samantha nodded. "Christopher James Fitzgerald." As he finished speaking, it started another batch of tears from both Martin and Samantha. Cuddled together on the bed, with their son in-between. 'If only.' Martin kept thinking. 'If only.'

Jack, Viv and Danny stepped out the elevator to see Martin stepping from a room. He walked to the opposite side of the corridor and thumped his hand off the wall before slumping down onto the chair. He rested his head into his hands as they approached him. "Martin, is everything all right?" Jack asked.

Martin looked up, allowing everyone to see his red-rimmed eyes. "Not really." He answered. "Our son died thirty minutes ago and Samantha's just found out she'll never be able to conceive again. She's thrown me out."

The shock of the baby dying was evident on everyone's face. Viv sat in the chair beside him. "What exactly happened?"

"The force of the impact was severe and the baby was in distress when they arrived. Samantha was unconscious and they had to do an emergency C-section. Christopher wasn't breathing when he was born so they ventilated him and kept him on long enough for Samantha to wake. Her injuries were so severe that they had to perform a hysterectomy before she bled to death."

"Martin I am so sorry." Viv laid a hand on his arm. "So how is Samantha now?"

"Angry, she threw me out the room telling me that she doesn't want to see me." Tears began to flow down Martin's cheeks.

"She's upset, you just wait and see, she'll be back shouting at you in no time." Viv told him with a smile on her face. "I'll go in and see her just now and see if I can talk to her, okay?"

"Thanks Viv." Martin said as he watched Viv walk into his wife's hospital room. He turned back to Jack and Danny. "So what happened to Barbar?"

"He's in custody down at the 1-16. We've just come from his apartment. Seems he ahs been stalking Samantha since he got out. Even had someone do it from before."

"What do you mean?"

"His apartment as covered in pictures of Samantha and you. Even from your wedding day and not just the one that was in the paper, actual photographs. Martin I am so sorry that this has happened. If there is anything that I can do, just let me know."

"I need to see that apartment and then him, I want to nail the bastard for what he has done to me and my family." Jack and Danny had never seen Martin so angry before.

Inside Samantha's room, she lay on her side facing the window away from where Viv sat. Viv had seen her when she first stepped into the room and it was obvious how much Samantha was hurting. The pain was evident in her facial expression when she had seen Viv. Dried tear tracks were being re-used with fresh tears.

Viv sat holding Samantha's hand. There was nothing that she could say that would make the situation any better and she knew that, so she was doing all that she could think of, being there for her friend.

After about ten minutes Samantha finally turned around and looked VIv in the eye. "Is Martin still outside?"

"Yes."

"Can you get him for me please?" Viv nodded and stood opening the door to the room and motioned for Martin to rejoin them. As soon as he stepped into he room, another batch of tears rolled down Samantha's face. "I'm sorry."

Martin rushed to his wife's side. "You have nothing to be sorry for sweetheart."

"I pushed you away." She sobbed.

"You had every right too, you were upset and had just been told so much information, it's surprising that you waited so long before shouting at me."

"Will you lay with me?" Samantha asked. Martin nodded and climbed into the bed beside her, cradling her to his chest.

Viv slid out the door, leaving her friends be. They were where they needed to be.

As his wife lay in her hospital bed, Martin stood on the threshold of Terence Barbar's apartment. He knew he wanted to go in and see just how much of a weirdo this guy was, but he wasn't prepared for what he saw.

"Martin, are you sure about this?" Danny asked for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

"Danny, I have to. This guy has caused so much pain and sorrow in my family, I have to see it for myself." Martin slowly pushed the door open. Danny had already seen inside and knew it wasn't a pleasant sight.

He heard Martin gasp and knew that he had seen it. Samantha's face covered every available surface in the apartment. Her photo' pinned everywhere, there were even pieces of her clothing. 'How on earth did he get them?' Martin wondered to himself. He walked around the main room of the apartment staring at all the pictures taking in what this man had seen. Well this man and an accomplice. Barbar had only been out of prison a few months but he had photos that Martin could see from way before that. There was an entire wall dedicated to their wedding day, although instead of Martin's face on the photo's it was Barbar's.

Martin walked out the apartment unable to take anymore of it. He had seen enough, enough to make his blood boil at the thought of someone watching his wife so intimately. He wanted to get back to the hospital just to make sure Samantha was all right but he had somewhere else to go first.

Walking into the FBI building for the first time in a few days, Martin knew exactly where he was going. Jack had called him this morning and told him that Barbar's interrogation was taking place that morning. Martin headed straight to the interrogation room. Looking through the one-way mirror he could see the vile, disgusting man sitting behind the table. One guard stood close by keeping a close eye in him. He watched as the door opened and two men walked in, two men that he knew very well indeed. His father had travelled up from DC to interview this man and Martin knew nothing about it. Jack was the other investigating officer. Martin was glad that it was two men that he knew and trusted but why? They were too close to the case, too personally involved, but then if he knew his father that is why he would be there.

The interview seemed to be over quickly, too quickly for Martin's liking that was until he saw both faces of the interviewers. His father looked furious and Jack wasn't much better. "What happened?"

"He is a class A jerk, that's what the matter is. He's spouting off saying Samantha deserved what she got, that it was all her fault."

Martin headed straight for the room, his father managing to catch him just before he reached the door. "Martin, no. It's not right for you to be in that room with him."

Martin shook his father off. "And it is for you. That man in their killed your grandson. Your daughter-in-law is lying in a hospital bed fighting for her life and you say I can't go in there."

"Exactly, you are in no fit state to interview anyone right now, let alone be here. You should be at the hospital at your wife's side. She need's you Martin, you know that."

Martin broke down in tears. "I just don't know what to do anymore dad."

Victor took his son into his arms. "You go the hospital and be with your wife, hold her. Tell her you love her and that you re going to be there for her. Martin, please don't think about him. Think of your wife."

"And the funeral of my son." Martin added sombrely. The burial of Christopher was to take place in three days time. It was hopefully enough time for Samantha to regain just a little bit of strength. She was still in bad shape after her surgery but the doctor's were hopeful that she would make a full recovery. Martin however knew she wouldn't. Being told she would never have another child had set Samantha back, further than the doctor's realised.

Jack, Viv and Danny stood back and watched as Martin carried the small white coffin towards the hole in the ground that had already been dug. VIv already had tears coursing down her face and Danny wasn't too far behind her.

Martin was standing tall, trying hard not to let the tears that had welled within his eyes fall. He had to be the strong one today, even though he was hurting inside. The box in his arms was very light, hardly any weight in it at all. He couldn't believe that it held his son. The son that he and Samantha so desperately wanted. He turned to where his wife sat. She looked so little sitting by the gravesite. She had been allowed out of hospital just for the day. She still wasn't strong enough to go home, where she wanted to be.

After handing the coffin to the funeral director he took his seat by his wife. She stretched out her hand to him and held him close.

There wasn't much that could be said, Christopher hadn't lived that long. Samantha couldn't keep her emotions in check and had buried her face in Martin's neck. He too allowed the tears to flow. Rubbing his cheek against the softness of her hair.

Jack watched the young couple and couldn't imagine what they were going through. When it first happened all he could think about were his girls. What if something bad was to happen to Kate or Hanna? What would he do? He had called Maria and asked if he could have an extra weekend with the girls and she had understood.

Viv's heart broke for her friends. They were so much in love, with their first child on the way and now this. What would they do? Samantha had always portrayed the strong, unbreakable agent, but looking at her now she seemed so weak and fragile. She had a feeling that she wouldn't be back at work anytime soon.

The service was over quickly and people began to disperse leaving Martin and Samantha in the quiet contemplation of their life. "What are we going to do now?" Samantha asked in a low voice.

"We are going to carry on with life. We have to." Martin answered. "Come on, let's go." He helped her to her feet and with his arm secured around her, he guided her back to the warmth of the car.

Once Samantha was back in hospital and asleep, Martin slipped away. He knew he should stay with her but he knew she would sleep for a while. There was somewhere more important he had to be.

Jack sat in the room starring at Terence Barbar with so much hatred in his eyes. This man was responsible for a whole lot of hurt in the world. Jack wanted to make sure that he went away for a very long time.

"So you do realise that you are now being charged with murder?" Jack informed him.

"What you talking about?" Barbar replied.

"Murder. You killed someone."

"No I did not." Barbar protested.

"Yes you did. When you ploughed your car into my wife, you killed our son." Jack hadn't noticed Martin come into the room.

"Martin, you shouldn't be here." Jack tried to take Martin back out but Martin stood his ground.

"I know Jack, but I feel that our man here should find out exactly what he ahs done." Martin had fire in his eyes. A fire that Jack had never seen before in the normally calm agent. "Terence, this morning I attended the funeral of the baby boy I will never get to grow up. Do you know what that feels like?"

Barbar hung his head. As much as he was a cocky son of a bitch he didn't know how to respond to Martin. "No." He answered quietly.

"No then again, you don't really care about anyone do you. You claim hat this is revenge for all the years you spent in prison because of Samantha. You should have spent more and you know it."

"Martin what are you talking about?" Jack asked.

"He raped her the day he kidnapped her. But she was so young and so traumatized that she didn't press charges. SO you see if she had, Barbar would have spent a lot more time in prison. But he's going to experience that now."

Martin had to hold back, he wanted to take a swing at the man who had destroyed his wife's life. He knew it would take Samantha a long time before she got over this, heck, it was going to take him time but at least Barbar wouldn't get to her. HE knew he would spend at least 25 year in prison if not longer.

Later that night as Martin walked back into his wife's hospital room he noticed she was still asleep. he moved a piece of hair from her forehead and gave her a kiss. "Don't you worry baby no one is ever going to hurt you again."

The days that followed the funeral were hellish for Martin. He had to sit back and watch his wife cope with everything that she had gone through. She had lost her son, her only chance to have a child and her will to live all in the one go. She truly wanted to give up and had told Martin so.

Flashback

Sitting in the hospital room that night after the funeral was hard. He watches as Samantha slept. Or at least he thought she was asleep. Turns out she had been awake the entire time. Around 11 o'clock he stood to stretch his legs. Kissing her forehead before leaving the room he felt her shift. "Samantha, are you awake?"

"Yes. Haven't slept yet. I can't." Her voice was scratchy.

"It's all right sweetheart, I'm here. You know that. Just close your eyes and let your body rest." He answered sitting on the edge of her bed.

"Martin, no. I can't." She was getting more upset as their conversation continued.

"Why not?" he asked her, hoping that she would tell him what she was feeling.

"Martin, I've hit zero. It's all gone. I might as well be too." She said through heart wrenching sobs. Tears streamed from her eyes.

Martin moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Samantha don't talk like that. You may be down but we can get back up." He whispered into her hair. She had allowed her body to relax against his. "I'm down there too, maybe not as low as you, but I am down there. We need to work it out together. We can get through this. I promise you that we can."

"Do you really think that we can, because at this moment in time I don't think that I can ever be there again." She sobbed into his chest. "Martin I want it all to be over."

"Samantha you don't mean that. I know that is what you think right now, but there is so much to live for."

"I don't have that anymore. Christopher is gone and there will be no more."

"What about me, Samantha I need you. More than you realise. There is nothing in this world that I wouldn't do for you." he wrapped his arms tighter round her. he hated to here her talking like she was.

"I know you do Martin, it's just right now I am hurting more than I ever thought was possible. I don't know how long it will last."

"Well I am here for the duration, however long it takes, and I am here for you. Please remember that." He kissed her hair again as he felt her body relax even more.

"I will." She murmured as he heard her breathing change into a slow even breath. He knew she had finally given into the sleep she so desperately needed.

Martin had kept a close eye on her in the days that followed. She seemed to get more and more depressed as the days went on but there had been no more talk of her not wanting to go on.

Terence Barbar was due up in court again soon and Martin knew that she would have to face him. He would have to face him. How was he going to do that without wanting to jump across the courtroom and kill him with his own bare hands.

After what he had seen in Barbar's apartment he knew that there had to have been someone else following him and Samantha. He was putting all his extra energies into that.

His father was helping a lot which Martin was shocked at. His father had never agreed when he joined the FBI but in recent times he seemed to sympathise with his son over what had happened. Maybe the old man wasn't as bad as they all thought. Then again it had been his family that had been targeted.

After a day of searching for the mystery man Martin headed back to the hospital. The doctors had told them that if she were strong enough Samantha would be able to go home in the next few days. But for now she was happy enough in hospital. At least she was when her husband showed up.

True to form he showed up just after the dinner tray had been taken away. And as all the other nights he climbed into bed beside her and they lay watching some silly show on he TV and fell asleep in one another's arms.

The courtroom was packed on the day Samantha was due to give evidence against Terence barbar. She and Martin sat in the back of the courtroom but when he was brought into the room he spotted her straight away. Looking directly at her he winked before sitting in his seat. Samantha shifted her gaze but couldn't help look back at him from time to time.

When she was called she took strong steps towards the witness stand and stood. "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God."

"I do." Samantha said in a shaky voice.

"Please state your full name for the record."

"Samantha Claire Spade Fitzgerald." She replied before taking her seat. She seemed to be looking straight into the eyes of Terence Barbar, who kept leering at her giving her smiles and winking. She was trying so hard not to let it put her off.

"Mrs Fitzgerald, what is your job?"

"I am a special agent with the FBI."

"And which department do you work in?"

"Missing Persons."

"And through this you know the defendant Terence Barbar?" Samantha could only nod. "In what capacity did you know him?"

"He was involved in the second case I worked when I started with the bureau. He had kidnapped and raped four young girls. I was used as an undercover officer to try and get him. Which happened and he was put away."

"What happened when he got out?"

"At first nothing, or so I thought. It later transpired that he had been following me."

"Can you tell me what happened on the day of Thursday 19th?"

Martin watched as Samantha took a deep breath and swallowed. "I had a bad morning at work and decided to take an drive to clear my head. I started to drive and after driving for a while I thought someone was following me." Samantha swallowed again. "I took turns and it was obvious he was turning. He bumped me from behind which scared me. I called my husband to tell him and as we were on the phone he bumped me again and again and caused me to crash my car."

"What happened then Mrs Fitzgerald?"

"I was taken o the hospital."

"What injuries did you suffer?"

Samantha was trying so hard to keep her emotions in check. "I had a broken collarbone, broken arm and damaged my leg. I also gave birth early."

"How far along in your pregnancy were you?"

"Six and a half months. My son was born while I was under general anaesthetic. They woke me from the drug induced coma they had me in so I could see him." Samantha reached up to wipe a tear away.

"Why was that Mrs Fitzgerald?"

"He was too ill to survive and my husband and I had to let him go. he lived two hours." Tears began to stream down Samantha's face and she didn't care who saw.

"I am so sorry to hear that. Do you have residual pain from any of the injuries you sustained?"

"I still have problems with my wrist and I can't place too much weight on my leg." Samantha wiped away the last of the tears that fell. She looked to where Martin sat and he gave her a smile.

"Thank you Mrs Fitzgerald. Nothing further your honour."

Samantha walked back to Martin who wrapped his arms around her. "You did so well." He whispered, hoping she has done enough.

At the end of the day the jury came back with the guilty verdict everyone was looking for and the sentence of life that went with it. Martin wrapped his arms around Samantha and held as she cried for their son. He hoped in his heart she would eventually get back to normal.

2 Years later.

Martin sat anxiously at his desk. he was supposed to be off today but somehow Jack needed him. Why he wasn't sure of, but hey he was there. He really wanted to be at home. He and Samantha were due a phone call that they were desperate for, so instead she was at home and was going to call when it came through.

All morning he tried hard to concentrate on he work he was doing but somehow he just couldn't get his mind into it. Dull paperwork just didn't hold the wow factor for him. Viv and Danny were also working away, trying to lighten the mood with jokes and occasional funny stories that Martin desperately tried to join in with.

A little after lunch Martin sat at his desk, staring at the photo of he and Samantha. He gently ran his finger over the outline of her face, wondering why she hadn't called.

"Martin." The voice came from behind him. A voice he knew all too well. Spinning in his seat he saw his wife standing about twenty feet away from him. He couldn't read her expression so he raised his eyebrows, in question. "We got her." She cried out.

Martin was off his chair in seconds and had her in his arms. VIv and Danny watched on with huge smiles on their faces. "When?" Martin asked.

"Friday." Samantha replied with tears coursing down her face. "They called and said that the girl really liked us and that we were her first choice for her baby."

"I can't believe it. This is the best news." Martin couldn't stop the tears flowing from his eyes either. "We have our baby."

"Finally." Samantha said, with a hint of sadness in her voice. Yes they had their baby but she would never be Christopher.


End file.
